Chastain was set to play a scientist who develops a terrifying virus in the superhero sequel, but The Help star apologised to her fans on Monday (07May12) after pulling out of the role due to scheduling conflicts.
And filmmakers are not wasting any time in filling the vacant spot - they have begun negotiations with Hall to take over as Robert Downey, Jr.'s new leading lady, according to Variety.com.
Screenwriter/director Shane Black has been drafted in to take over the franchise's reigns from Jon Favreau and production is set to begin in North Carolina later this month (May12) before relocating to China.
The film is due for release in May, 2013.

If you're a superhero fan concerned about the massive let down after the release of The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises this summer, rest assured that there are more exciting comic book films on the horizon. Iron Man 3 is scheduled to be released on May 3, 2013, and though filming won't start until next month, details are already starting to leak. Here's everything you need to know about the return of Tony Stark:
1. There's a New Director
Fans were concerned when Jon Favreau, who directed the first two installments, left the franchise, but his replacement looks promising. Shane Black, who's best known for creating Lethal Weapon, has signed on for Iron Man 3. He previously worked with Robert Downey Jr. on the awesome film Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and he's also writing the third installment, which should lead to a more cohesive story.
2. There's a New Baddie
Oscar-winner Sir Ben Kingsley is in negotiations to play a villain in the film. There are rumors that he might play oil tycoon Hugh Jones or The Mandarin, Iron Man's archnemesis in the comic books. After learning more about where the film is being produced, we're leaning toward the latter.
3. The Movie Will Be Made in China
Hollywood has been trying to create a cosier relatioship with China recently, and as a result, Disney is co-producing Iron Man 3 with the Chinese company DMG Entertainment. Disney's Greater China managing director has said, "We know Chinese audiences love Iron Man. So we are going to add Chinese elements and a Chinese story into Iron Man 3."
4. Scarlett Johansson is Out
Scarlett Johansson revealed in an interview with Screen Rant that she won't appear in Iron Man 3. However, she said she hopes that after seeing The Avengers, audiences will root for her to get a film of her own.
5. Jessica Chastain is In
It seems Jessica Chastain will fill the hole left by Scarlett Johansson. The star of The Help is in talks to appear in Iron Man 3. However, Gwyneth Paltrow doesn't need to be worried. She's already signed on for the third installment, and supposedly Pepper Potts will have more screen time.
More:
'Iron Man 3': Made in China
'Iron Man 3': Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle Confirmed
Jessica Chastain in Talks for 'Iron Man 3'
[Vulture]

Sir Ben Kingsley sure can play the hero — films like Gandhi and Schindler's List have proven that. But even better than a virtuous Kingsley is a villainous one. The man is at his best when he takes the heavy. And Kingsley might well bring his capabilities in the delivery of evil to Iron Man 3.
The established thespian is in talks to join Robert Downey, Jr.'s Marvel threequel as a secondary villain who will face off against Tony Stark. Hope is that Kingsley will play The Mandarin, Iron Man's comic book archenemy. The Mandarin, as he was created in the 1960s, is a China-born Chinese-English orphan who was raised by a misanthropic aunt, trained unrelentingly in science and martial arts (by a dragon), and eventually rendered penniless due to his government's corruption. So it's no-brainer on how he became a supervillain.
THR reports that The Mandarin viewers are might see could differ somewhat from his classic comic incarnation. The six-issue "Extremis" storyline from the Iron Man comics (which inspired aspects of Downey's first Iron Man film) featured The Mandarin as a victim of his own diabolical scheme to "enhance" the human race genetically via the release of a virus called Extremis. Could Iron Man 3 audiences see The Mandarin successfully carrying out his Extremis plan?
However, other sources, such as Badass Digest, are suggesting that Kingsley will take on a different Iron Man villain: one possibility includes oil tycoon Hugh Jones. What Iron Man villainwould you most like to see take form in Iron Man 3?
More:
Iron Man 3: Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle Confirmed
Marvel Universe: News on Iron Man 3, Dr. Strange, Thor 2, Cap 2 and Nick Fury
Final Avengers Trailer: Can You Say Epic?
[THR]

The Hugo actor will follow Mickey Rourke as superhero Tony Stark's nemesis in Iron Man 3, if Variety rumours are true.
No details about his role or the film have been released, but Shane Black has replaced Jon Favreau as the director of the third film, which will hit cinemas next year (May13).
Robert Downey, Jr. will return as Stark/Iron Man.

It happened in The Parent Trap, Rain Man, Twins, Double Impact, The Addams Family, Star Wars, Austin Powers and every soap opera ever created. It's inevitable: long-lost siblings will eventually find each other.
People Like Us brings together estranged half-siblings Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks after thirty-odd years of having no idea that one another existed. A story like this, which has been done so many times before, can go a few different ways. It can feel like an uninspired rehash or a freshly genuine take on a well-tread, fertile ground. The first trailer for the movie keeps the line blurry.
Some aspects of the trailer below lean towards melodramatic and predictable. Pine's character Sam has come into a large piece of his father's inheritance that he is entrusted with delivering to his brand new sister Frankie (Banks). However, Sam is in a good deal of debt, and keeps his sister in the dark about the money and their blood relation, instead just acting as a creepy stranger with an undue interest in her friendship. It's hard to tell from the video whether or not the film itself will escape the cliches inherent in this kind of plot and will find something original and authentic, but there is definitely potential.
People Like Us also features Olivia Wilde, Michelle Pfeiffer and Jon Favreau. Pine reteams with Star Trek writer Alex Kurtzman on this movie (incidentally, the long-lost siblings thing also happened in Star Trek V...but that's enough examples).
More
Elizabeth Banks: The Downside to Being Effie Chris Pine Lawsuit Reveals Star Trek, This Means War Earnings Hunger Games Pics: Woody Harrelson &amp; Elizabeth Banks Before They Were Stars [Moviefone]

The filmmaker became a fan of the American Civil War captain as a child after reading all about the fictional character's adventures on Mars in his friends' comics and author Edgar Rice Burroughs' Bursoom series, and he eagerly anticipated the stories being one day adapted for film.
The movie came close to being made by Iron Man director Jon Favreau in 2006, but he subsequently dropped out of the project when Paramount Pictures lost the rights to the film.
So Stanton decided to start campaigning to take John Carter's story to Hollywood himself.
He tells WENN, "My brothers and I all could draw and we'd always go over to friends' houses who could draw. They were drawing what I now know are Tharks, these four-armed tusk characters (from John Carter comics). I'd be like, 'What the heck are those?' and they told me about the comic books and so I started reading them and then I got led to the books.
"From then on until about 2006, we're talking almost 30 years, I pretty much spent that time just waiting for somebody to make the movie. I just wanted to see it. I never planned I was going to make movies. When it got close to being made with Favreau I was one separation away from artists that were making it and getting the scoop that it was gonna happen and getting really excited about it.
"When it fell through and went back to the estate, I was really crestfallen. I just happened to have had a serendipitous phone call while making Wall-E with the head of Disney at the time. I said to him, 'Maybe if I'm not a one-hit wonder after I finish Wall-E, would you consider have (sic) me make it (John Carter) and if you don't you should buy it and have somebody make it. It would be a crime if it's not out there.' A month later they bought the three books and asked me to do it! It was a long time coming; I would never have expected it."
Stanton's John Carter features Taylor Kitsch as the title character, alongside Willem Dafoe, Lynn Collins and Dominic West, and is due to be released in March (12).

Over the last year or so, Steven Spielberg has teamed with a variety of high-profile filmmakers to get an astounding number of projects off the ground. He made the sci-fi western Cowboys and Aliens with Jon Favreau, the sci-fi sports drama Real Steel with Shawn Levy and the sci-fi sci-fi flick Super 8 with J.J. Abrams on the big screen, but has been just as prolific on the small screen with Terra Nova, Falling Skies and Smash. Last night, he launched The River on ABC, a new series as ambitious as LOST and as creepy as creator Oren Peli’s breakthrough film Paranormal Activity. A pairing of tastemakers as influential as these two was bound to be something special, and below I’ve listed four notions that I took away from its two-hour premiere. (You should also check out our exclusive interview with star Joe Anderson).
But first a little background: The show starts off when Dr. Emmet Cole (Bruce Greenwood), a beloved TV personality who made a career out of exploring the Amazon with his show “The Undiscovered Country”, disappears. Six months later, with no trace of him, his crew or his ship The Magus, the search effort is called off, but his doting wife scrambles together a crack team of interested parties to pick up where the professionals left off. In tow are two cameramen charged with documenting their quest, a private security expert, a navigator who worked with Cole in the past (and his daughter), the daughter of one of Cole’s closest confidantes and her own son who bears a chip on his shoulder thanks to his father’s enthusiasm to entertain the masses at the price of his own childhood. When they set out to locate Emmet, they make a startling discovery that none of them were prepared for.
The Scares are in the Setting
ABC’s LOST took place on a mysterious Island, and throughout the series we explored its various landmarks, hatches and temples. The showrunners were able to take natural environments like forests and caves as well as artificial constructs and make them characters unto themselves with startling physical features and sound effects that were branded into our minds. The River, with an Amazonian adventure and a supernatural narrative at its heart, is capable of the same inherent terror. We are plunged into the darkness of The Magus in the first hour of the show, and the lack of visibility coupled with the found-footage filming style makes for a jarring, original experience for TV fans.
The River is the Anti-Once Upon a Time
While alphabet vets Ed Kitsis and Adam Horowitz paint a kid-friendly portrait of the sunny side of magic with Once Upon a Time, The River aims to provide mature audiences with a darker and more sinister look at what can be done with the fantastic fictional practice. It becomes evident early on in the premiere event that Emmet Cole was involved with Occult forces, and director Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax, Orphan) brings them to life with old-school techniques and digital effects. Given the flux of sunny fairytale adaptations we’ve seen recently on the small and silver screen, it’s refreshing to see someone take a different approach toward magic, one that is sure to deliver lots of thrills as the series progresses.
Every Show Could Use a Smoke Monster
The River’s biggest draw is its unseen enemy. The show teases a supernatural antagonist early on in the pilot and its significance is made pretty clear with backstory that ties to the travellers’ mission. It’s not as mysterious as the Island’s smoke monster – we learn what it might be by the end of the first hour – but its effect on the characters is substantial. My theory? Every show could use an external force to shake things up. Think about what Grey’s Anatomy could do with the ghosts of patients past running through Seattle Grace, or how much more interesting 24 would’ve been had Jack Bauer contended with the spirits of all the men he’d killed? I’m only kind of joking here people…
More Bruce Greenwood, Please
Overall, the cast of The River left me unimpressed. The performances that made the cut feel more like read-throughs than the real thing, and a few of the actors really took me out of the experience. Bruce Greenwood, however, makes up for what the rest of the roster lacks in dramatic believability. We see his character in non-linear fashion through old scenes of the “Undiscovered Country” show and in found-footage that the rescue team stumbles upon, and it’s fascinating to watch Cole’s descent into madness in this way. One moment you’re watching a family man in his prime, the next you see a deeply flawed, frightened and paranoid individual who’s obviously in over his head. He’s playing two characters with Cole, and I hope we get to see more of both throughout the series as finding him will answer many questions about what’s going bump in the night out there in the Amazon.

Each new year produces a handful of it-girls and men of the moment, and we here at Hollywood.com like to get ahead of the game by letting you, our loyal readers, know who’s going to be a big deal. 2012 sees a gaggle of films big and small hit theaters, and with them an army of actors working hard to make the most of their packed schedules. Some are big-screen veterans, others are relatively new to showbiz, but all of them are must-know names.
*This list was compiled based on the amount of films/projects each actor is a part of that will release in 2012, factoring in the size of the film(s) and their overall celebrity status.
Bradley Cooper
Cooper had a hell of a 2011, with The Hangover Part II and Limitless proving him a major box office draw and those dreamy eyes helping him join the ranks of People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. So what does the New Year have in store for him? No less than four films: David O. Russell’s new comedy The Silver Linings Playbook, in which he works with an eclectic ensemble including Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Chris Tucker, Julia Stiles and more, the action-comedy Outrun, the dramatic thriller The Words (which co-stars Olivia Wilde and his new girlfriend Zoe Saldana) and The Place Beyond the Pines, the new film from Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance. All the while he’ll be shooting Paradise Lost, an epic FX-driven actioner from I, Robot director Alex Proyas.
Chris Hemsworth
This Aussie became the superhero-du-jour thanks to his breakout role as the God of Thunder in Marvel’s Thor earlier in 2011, and he’s capitalizing on his newfound fame in a big way. He’ll reprise the part in May’s The Avengers, and has one-of-two titular roles in one-of-two anticipated Snow White adaptations (Snow White and the Huntsman) in June. Additionally, a pair of pictures he shot long ago will finally hit theaters – first the horror-thriller Cabin in the Woods, followed by the remake of cult favorite Red Dawn. Add in Ron Howard’s Rush, which he’ll begin shooting this January for an early 2013/late 2012 awards run and you’re looking at one of the most exciting careers to follow!
Channing Tatum
Tatum made our list last year thanks to a packed schedule including The Dilemma, The Eagle, The Son of No One and more, and 2012 is just as busy for the young A-lister. In January, Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire will finally hit multiplexes (in which he has a bit part) and we could see his ensemble drama Ten Year go wide at some point, but even if it doesn’t he’s got plenty of major motion pictures to promote. First will be the romantic drama The Vow opposite Rachel McAdams, followed soon after by Sony’s 21 Jump Street reboot. On June 29th, he’ll release a pair of very different movies – Paramount’s G.I. Joe: Retaliation and his second collaboration with Soderbergh, the male strip flick Magic Mike. But the best is yet to come, as he’ll star in Moneyball director Bennett Miller’s new drama Foxcatcher opposite Steve Carell, due in 2013.
Jessica Chastain
As stated in the introduction, this list is about both seasoned cinematic figures and rising stars, and was there anyone who had a more impressive year than newcomer Ms. Chastain? I think not. With films as wide ranging as Texas Killing Fields, The Debt, The Help and The Tree of Life (among others) she solidified herself as a dramatic force to be reckoned with in 2011, and the future is bright for the 30-year-old starlet. She’ll reunite with director Terrence Malick for his new, untitled romantic drama and also has a role in John Hillcoat’s anticipated prohibition thriller Wettest County opposite Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman. Additionally, she’ll star in a horror flick called Mama and a star-studded drama titled Tar with James Franco, Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and more.
Bruce Willis
Here’s an example of a longtime film hero hitting it hard in 2012. While this isn’t the first fiscal year in which Willis has released multiple movies, it’s without question the busiest frame in his career. He’s slated to appear or star in no less than seven films, including big-budget blockbusters like G.I. Joe Retaliation and The Expendables 2, smaller action-thrillers Looper and The Cold Light of Day and more artful projects like Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom and Stephen Frears' Lay the Favorite. He’ll also turn up in the 50 Cent-produced thriller Fire with Fire and will shoot the highly-anticipated A Good Day to Die Hard and videogame adaptation Kane &amp; Lynch throughout 2012. Not bad for an elder statesmen.
Bryan Cranston
Though he’s best known as a modern TV icon thanks to his Emmy-winning role in AMC’s Breaking Bad, Cranston has been incredibly prolific on the big-screen in recent years. He appeared in six films in 2011, including Drive, The Lincoln Lawyer, Contagion and Larry Crowne, and has five major productions on the horizon in 2012. In January he’ll play an authoritative figure in Lucasfilm’s long-gestating wartime action flick Red Tails, followed by a turn in Disney’s mega-budgeted John Carter. He’s also got a part in Adam Shankman’s Rock of Ages adaptation and a villainous role in Sony’s Total Recall remake, and is currently filming Ben Affleck’s CIA drama Argo, set to hit theaters in September.
Zac Efron
The former High School Musical star has been trying to establish himself as more than just a pretty face for some time, and 2012 could be a pivotal year in his career. He dabbles in commercial and independent fare next year, with starring roles in Universal’s Dr. Seuss adaptation The Lorax and Warner Bros.’ Nicholas Sparks adaptation The Lucky One as well as parts in Lee Daniels’ The Paperboy and Josh Radnor’s Liberal Arts. He’s also going to appear in an untitled ensemble drama alongside Dennis Quaid, Heather Graham and Clancy Brown.
Alec Baldwin
We've had to wait until 2012 to finally see Baldwin's return to TV, and, lucky us - we'll also be treated to about five film roles from the beloved entertainer. He’s got parts in all kinds of movies, from indie comedy AmeriQua to indie drama Lucky Them, and even big studio flicks like Rock of Ages and DreamWorks Animation’s CGI spectacle Rise of the Guardians. But his most interesting project in unquestionably Nero Fiddled, Woody Allen’s new Rome-set romp, which will likely premiere at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.
Jessica Biel
Biel is best known as a maker of mainstream movies (I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, The A-Team, Valentine’s Day), but 2012 will see her release a diverse slate of films. She’s got one of two female lead roles in summer actioner Total Recall, and will play a pivotal part in Gabriele Muccino’s new dramedy Playing the Field. In addition, she’s got a horror thriller titled The Tall Man in the can, and is preparing to film a pair of pictures that could screen next year – The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes. With any luck, we could also see the long-delayed David O. Russell political rom-com Nailed (in which she plays the female lead) release, but I’m sadly not holding my breath. And if she ends up wedding Justin Timberlake (as engagement rumors started swirling around the web earlier this month), it’s going to be a landmark year for the former 7th Heaven star.
Josh Hutcherson
This young talent has been on the rise for awhile, and with a resume that includes work with Robert Zemeckis, Jon Favreau, Paul Weitz and Lisa Cholodenko it’s a wonder he hasn’t been propelled to the spotlight sooner. In 2012 he has five films to release, and by the time the year is over he’ll likely be a household name. First he reprises his role from 2008’s Journey to the Center of the Earth in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, then appears in an anthology film that sports a directing roster including Benicio del Toro and Gaspar Noe. March sees him starring in one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year – The Hunger Games – while he’ll then appear in the art-house drama Carmel opposite Alfred Molina and Hayden Panettiere. Finally, he’ll star in MGM’s Red Dawn remake in November, and by that point he’ll probably have already cornered several major films for his future.
James Franco
When is Franco NOT one of the busiest entertainers in showbiz? The Oscar-nominated actor and noted workaholic has been laboring at ludicrous speeds as of late, and his 2012 schedule is packed with somewhere between five and seven films that you'll probably never see including drama Maladies (with Catherine Keener and David Strathairn), thriller The Stare (opposite Winona Ryder), the fore mentioned ensemble drama Tar, the Linda Lovelace biopic Lovelace and another porn-centric drama called Cherry. All the while he’ll be shooting a documentary and filming projects for release in 2013. The man is a machine.
John Goodman
Finally, here’s yet another example of career resurgence. Goodman’s been working incredibly hard over the past few years and has been a part of some of the most acclaimed pictures of 2011 – Kevin Smith’s Red State and awards’ hopefuls The Artist and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Next year, however, is a whole other animal, as he appears in five movies including indie dramedy Thicker, dark comedy Spring Break ’83, Focus Features animated fantasy ParaNorman, and a pair of important dramas from Ben Affleck (Argo) and Robert Zemeckis (Flight). In between pushing those pics, he'll be shooting the Coen Bros. new flick Inside Llewyn Davis and Pixar's anticipated prequel Monsters University. Walter Sobchak is back in the building people.

The 35-year-old daughter of music icon Quincy Jones has a colourful dating history, previously stepping out with stars including actors Tobey Maguire and John Krasinski and director Jon Favreau, and she was even engaged to celebrity DJ/producer Mark Ronson.
She's currently single, and Jones admits she has no time to look for love.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Tonight, The Social Network star says, "This is a little bit of a choice for me. My career is paramount at the moment. I've had a lot of luck in the past couple of years. And I want to be open to it and available to it. And my career right now is very time consuming. And I like it that way. It's good. I'm acting and I'm writing and it's taking up a lot of my energy. I'm also... you know, I'm picky."
And Jones is unsure of whether she would ever exchange vows if she was in a relationship, adding, "I totally believe in romance and love and all that. But the actual institution of marriage... in this country (America), more than half the people get divorced. So something's not working. I just don't know if it works all together across-the-board."

Cowboys &amp; Aliens may not have been the biggest hit of the summer, but it certainly sports the best cast.
Director Jon Favreau assembled a diverse cast, pulling from the top names in Hollywood young and old. Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, Adam Beach, Noah Ringer, Clancy Brown, Keith Carradine—and that's just the main cast. Trickling down into the supporting roles are recognizable character actors and Western staples. Favreau even found a part for Brendan Wayne, grandson of the legendary John Wayne!
In this exclusive glimpse at the making of feature "Igniting the Sky" from the Cowboys &amp; Aliens Blu-ray, Favreau and his cast wax poetically on working with each other, the experience of performing alongside people you simultaneously admire.
Cowboys &amp; Aliens hits Blu-ray December 6.
Also check out this new poster by Florian Bertmer, which you can pick up tomorrow at Mondo Tees!

Executive produced superhero ensemble "The Avengers" and NBC series "Revolution"

Dropped out of Queens College; worked briefly as a maintenance worker

Appeared in dinner theaters in Chicago

Sold "Swingers" screen rights to director Doug Liman with provision that he and Vince Vaughn play leading roles

Directed "Jumanji" sequel "Zathura," based on book by Chris Van Allsburg

Summary

Actor, producer, writer and director Jon Favreau hit unlikely pay dirt when "Swingers" (1996), his low-budget, autobiographical indie about struggling young actors, turned he and co-star/real-life best friend Vince Vaughn into hot property, seemingly overnight. Favreau parlayed his rising profile into a number of supporting big-screen roles as cynical side men, but he was more anxious to get behind the camera and direct bigger features. After another indie buddy comedy with Vaughn - the underrated mob farce "Made" (2001) - Favreau went wide with the winning holiday hit "Elf" (2003), starring a spandex-clad Will Ferrell. His acclaimed adaptation of the kids book "Zathura: A Space Adventure" (2005) missed the mark with audiences, but his 2008 adaptation of Marvel Comics' "Iron Man" starring Robert Downey, Jr. was one of the most anticipated action films of the year, leading to a return to leading man status for Downey, Jr. and hard-won blockbuster credentials for its highly creative director.

Name

Role

Comments

Charles Favreau

Father

Madeleine Favreau

Mother

Died of leukemia in 1978

Brighton Favreau

Daughter

Born Aug. 29, 2006; mother, Joya Tillem

Madelaine Favreau

Daughter

Born April 2003; mother, Joya Tillem

Max Favreau

Son

Born July 25, 2001; mother, Joya Tillem

Joya Tillem

Wife

Married Nov. 24, 2000 in Sonoma, CA

Education

Name

Queens College

ImprovOlympic

Bronx High School of Science

Notes

"I grew up half-Jewish, half-Italian. The Italian side has been mythologized with all those tough-guy movies. And then there's the Jewish side, which you're sort of embarrassed about. So I decided to take on the stereotype and write a movie about a Hasidic gunslinger. He's the baddest man in the West." – Favreau on the script for "The Marshal of Revelation" in The New York Times, Oct. 12, 1996